2014 Call ASABE at (800) 371-2723 Or E-Mail [email protected]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
from the President Showing the World Who We Are, What We Do n my previous Resource col- critically important in meeting this challenge. The targeted umn, I addressed how ASABE’s audience should recognize our relevance and competence in reconfiguration, for more effi- working to solve the grand challenges that the world is facing. Icient alignment of our technical Whether we apply our expertise in agriculture to address food, divisions, will enable the growth water, and energy issues, or we conduct fundamental research and marketing of our profession and in biological engineering to develop new products and our Society. The value of our pro- processes, we must ensure that our efforts are recognized and fession can only be communicated understood. Engineers are usually not effective marketers, so by marketing ourselves to the public we need marketing expertise to help us. The message needs to and to policymakers. In particular, be: who we are, what we do, and how we are vital. the reconfiguration treats agricul- An effective marketing effort is critical to the future of tural engineering and biological our profession and ASABE. Retaining current members and engineering as common threads attracting new ones is also a high priority, and we do not have throughout ASABE, showing how both of these engineering time to waste. With potential members having many options fields benefit the people of the world by providing nutritious to choose from, we need to provide the compelling value food, clean water, abundant energy, and a healthy environment. they seek in joining ASABE. Watch for the marketing deliv- Our goal is to market these efforts—and thereby gain our pro- erables—and help promote how you and ASABE benefit the fession’s rightful place in the global arena. people of the world! Retaining a greater proportion of our student members Lalit R. Verma and attracting others to join us is another important challenge [email protected] facing ASABE. The realignment and marketing effort will be events calendar ASABE CONFERENCES AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS ASABE ENDORSED EVENTS To receive more information about ASABE conferences and meetings, 2014 call ASABE at (800) 371-2723 or e-mail [email protected]. May 5-7 2014 AMC Engineering Conference. 2014 Waterloo, Iowa, USA. April 7-11 Evapotranspiration: Challenges in Measurement May 19-24 DSSAT 2014. Griffin Campus of The University of and Modeling from Leaf to the Landscape Scale Georgia, Griffin, USA. and Beyond. Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. July 16-18 4th International Symposium on Soil Water July 12-13 2014 Applications of Computer Image Analysis Measurement, Using Capacitance, Impedance, and Spectroscopy in Agriculture. Montreal, and Time Domain Transmission. Macdonald Québec, Canada. Campus of McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, July 13-16 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Québec, Canada. Montreal, Québec, Canada. Nov. 1-7 2014 21st Century Watershed Technology 2015 Conference and Workshop. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. July 26-29 ASABE Annual International Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. 2016 July 17-20 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Orlando, Florida, USA. 2 March/April 2014 RESOURCE March/April 2014 Vol. 21 No. 2 Magazine Staff: Donna Hull, Publisher, [email protected]; Sue Mitrovich, Managing Editor, [email protected]; Glenn Laing, Contributing Editor, [email protected]; Melissa Miller, Professional Opportunities engineering and technology for a sustainable world March/April 2014 and Production Editor, [email protected]; Sandy Rutter, Professional Listings, [email protected]; Darrin Drollinger, ASABE FEATURES Executive Director, [email protected]. 4 The Fate, Transport, and Impact of Estrogens Applied Editorial Board: Chair Tony Grift, University of Illinois; Past Chair Brian Steward, Iowa During Wastewater Irrigation State University; Thomas Brumm, Iowa Heather Gall and Herschel Elliott State University; Victor Duraj, University of As concerns about the presence of unregulated compounds in drinking water sources continue California, Davis; Israel Sunday Dunmade, to grow, alternative solutions for managing wastewater are becoming increasingly appealing. Mount Royal University of Calgary; Rafael Garcia, USDA-ARS; Christopher Henry, 6 A New Study of Urban Farming in Los Angeles University of Arkansas; Shane Williams, 4 Kuhn North America; Chad Yagow, John Zach Rehm Deere Harvester Works; Jeong Yeol Yoon, What does urban agriculture look like? How is it regulated? Who engages in it? University of Arizona. How and where is city-grown produce sold? Resource: Engineering & Technology 9 The Role of Biological and Agricultural Engineers for a Sustainable World (ISSN 1076-3333) (USPS 009-560) is in Sustainable Agriculture published six times per year— Marty Matlock January/February, March/April, May/June, First in a series: What is the role of the engineer? July/August, September/October, November/December—by the American 12 Using 21st Century Technology to Grow the Oldest Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), 2950 Niles Road, Renewable Resource: Trees St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659, USA. 6 Nabil Mohamed POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Technology can enable agroforestry to efficiently and economically produce Resource, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI fiber from trees—sustainably and in an ecofriendly manner. 49085-9659, USA. Periodical postage is paid at St. Joseph, MI, USA, and additional 16 A Spiral Curriculum for BSE at Virginia Tech: An Update post offices. Mary Leigh Wolfe SUBSCRIPTIONS: Contact ASABE order The journey of implementing spiral learning in a curriculum continues— department, 269-932-7004. and brings significant impacts. COPYRIGHT 2014 by American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. 18 The “Threads” of Biosystems Engineering Demetres Briassoulis Permission to reprint articles available on request. Reprints can be ordered in large The fabric of the discipline calls for an international definition. quantities for a fee. Contact Donna Hull, 269-932-7026. Statements in this 12 20 Engineering that is Inspired by Biology publication represent individual opinions. Mark A. Eiteman Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Because biology is so intimately linked to the need for food, the opportunities Sustainable World and ASABE assume no to inform the design of agricultural systems are particularly promising. responsibility for statements and opinions expressed by contributors. Views advanced UPDATE in the editorials are those of the contribu- tors and do not necessarily represent the 23 Offset design improves round-bale unroller official position of ASABE. 24 Cellulose nanocrystals are a “green” wonder material ON THE COVER Heather Gall collects a water sample from 25 Kitty litter: A new use for spent corn grains a vernal pool in central Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy of Tracy Langkilde. 26 Algae to crude oil: Million-year natural process takes minutes in the lab CORRECTION 28 Biodegradable packaging from cotton waste The photo caption on page 11 in the 26 Nov./Dec. Resource reversed the order of the men pictured. Richard A. Cavaletto is on 28 New technique may drive down biofuel production costs the right, and Ephrem Teklehaimanote is on the left. We regret the error. DEPARTMENTS American Society of 2 From the President/Events Calendar Agricultural and Biological Engineers 29 Professional Opportunities 2950 Niles Road St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659, USA 269.429.0300, fax 269.429.3852 30 Professional Listings [email protected], www.asabe.org 31 Last Word: I Love Teaching, but I Hate Grading William Kisaalita The Fate, Transport, and Impact of Estrogens Applied During Wastewater Irrigation Heather Gall and Herschel Elliott s concerns about the presence of unregulated com- tion rate (5 cm per week), and the leachate was monitored for pounds known as “emerging contaminants” (ECs) six months. Leachate estrogen levels were generally less than in drinking water sources continue to grow, alter- 10% of the applied concentrations, suggesting that sorption Anative solutions for managing wastewater are to soils significantly retards subsurface transport of estro- becoming increasingly appealing. Irrigation with wastewater gens. However, rapid appearance of estrogens in the leachate is commonly used for agriculture in developing countries. In after application of less than one pore volume of effluent contrast, land application of treated wastewater is being used implies that the soil macropores serve as preferential trans- in the United States as a way to artificially recharge ground- port pathways in structured soils. Since the water table water aquifers and protect rivers and streams that would oth- beneath the Living Filter area is about 50 m below the sur- erwise receive discharge from wastewater treatment plants. face, the likelihood of groundwater contamination by estro- Since the 1960s, Penn State University has been applying gens is low at this site. However, the impact of surface its treated wastewater to approximately 2.5 km2 (600 acres) of irrigation-applied estrogens on water quality may be greater agricultural and forested land, known as the Living Filter. for areas with coarse-textured or highly structured soils over- This provides a great benefit to Spring Creek’s water quality, lying shallow groundwater. which had previously received effluent from the university’s wastewater treatment plant. However, more than 50 years later, it is now recognized that ECs, many of which are known endocrine disruptors, are not completely removed